Monday, August 30, 2010

Many people find it hard to believe that I had never been to the top of Whistler Mountain. Or Blackcomb. But I don't ski. My one and only attempt was made in 1994, and it was not very fun. Snow is cold. And it is hard, especially when you keep falling on it. I am not gifted in any athleticism of any kind, so I found it extremely difficult and very painful..........All I really ended up with were sprained thumbs from depending on and gripping the ski poles so tightly. My hips were bruised as well, from falling over so much. I have never been brave enough to try again, and I can honestly say that I am fine with this decision. All four of the miracles ski, and so do their spouses. #4 can snowboard as well, and the rest all enjoy skiing. It's an expensive sport and they don't go as much as they used to, but it is one of those activities that is life-long. We headed up to the top of the world on Sunday, and it was very, very fun!!

In the gondola, looking down into Whistler Village.

He loves being "Way up High."

Looking over from Peak to Peak

From the top of Whistler, looking down on the Village

Fitzsimmons Creek is a natural divide between Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. Can you see it way down there? It really is a looooooooong way down!

It was considerably warmer on Blackcomb than on Whistler. The report said it was 3 degrees on Whistler and 5 degrees on Blackcomb, but the sunshine made it much more bearable. It was an incredible view from way up there and we went back and forth twice between the mountains, just because it was so amazing. And also, it's a wonderful way to keep a two year old contained and entertained. I do believe we were all very impressed by this engineering marvel!

Heading back to Whistler

Showing Grandpa something.........way up high!

Me and my Hubby

Happy little family

Miracle #4

It takes about fifteen minutes to go from one mountain peak to the other. At first, I found it very hard to look down, but I got quite used to it by the time we had gone across four times!!

Sunday, August 29, 2010

We went to Whistler yesterday so that Miracles #2 and #3 and their spouses (and children) could follow through with what they bought me for my birthday, and that was Zip-trekking!! It was sooooooo exciting and exhilarating, and I would be lying if I said that I wasn't a little bit nervous. But my fears were unwarranted, and I found it more difficult to walk upon the tree-top suspension bridges than it was to sail over Fitzsimmons Creek at speeds up to 60km/hour. I also found it hard to actually step off into the wild blue yonder. Once I stepped, it was all good, but that first step is a doozy!!

Here we are in our beautiful harnesses and helmuts. Quite the fashion statement, don't you think?

I think I look very brave here!!

We did the Bear tour and this is actually the second line, but the first one on the mountain. The first zip that we did was in the village. It was a training run so that we could get the feel of the harness and it was only about 30 feet off the ground. This was somewhat higher, and it gave me a pretty good adrenalin rush!!

The third line.....this is Miracle #4.

Miracle #3

Looking out onto our fourth and longest line. We climbed up 110 steps to this platform.

Finishing up on the fourth line.

My favourite son-in-law, coming in from his fourth zip-line of the day. #4 was our photographer and he has video of the last and final line, but no pictures. It's the one where we are taught how to go upside down and hands-free. And yes, I have witnesses to prove that I really did it!! It wasn't easy. The one thing that I did learn was it is easier to start backwards as then you can't see where you are going so there isn't as much trepidation. But hands-free! That was very hard for me to do, even though I knew it was the harness that was holding me up, it just felt so much better to be holding on. I could always let go with one hand, but it took until the very end before I could go hands-free. Our guide was very impressed, we were 9 for 9, and that is not the norm. I do believe we are all ready to try the Eagle tour next!!

Monday, August 23, 2010

I had my retina fixed today. The assistant came to insert my dilation drops and asked, "Left eye?" I said, "Yes." And then she proceeded to add the drops to my right eye. If I didn't question her, I don't know if she would have even caught it. Hmmmmmm...........I was wondering if this was a sign of what was to come? But now I had both eyes dilated, which is never fun. It's quite a set-up, this lasering. There were over 20 people waiting when I arrived at 8:45 am, and yes, a lot of the people waiting are the drivers for the people who are getting their eyes lasered. But they call three people at a time, we line up in chairs outside an exam room, and I am fairly sure that we take up about two minutes, maybe three of the Dr.'s time, once we are called in. I think that more time is taken getting settled into the chair, getting my chin placed onto a metal bar, and having the tubular glass 'contact lens' put on my eye, than the actual procedure. A very, very, very bright light.....(it's very, very green)......"look up, look down, look down again, oh, this might burn a little on the back of your eye, I am going to turn up the intensity (oh, that comment impressed me, oh so much...NOT!)" And then I was free to leave. I have to back in November for follow-up, but I am assuming that my retina is seared together once again. I have a lovely bright red vein going through my entire white of my left eye, it hurts like the dickens, and the back of my eyeball feels like it has been burned. Probably because it has! I am glad that I booked the day off, and I post-poned our Monday night family dinner until tomorrow. Did a whole lot of nothing today, and I have an eye-ache for my trouble. Usually, I get a headache, but this time it's just my eye. And it doesn't want to quit watering either. I should probably just go to bed, but it somehow feels a little bit too early.

Hubby has a sore throat, and his hips are aching tonight. Oh, we are quite a pair!! We actually did venture out to Costco as there was no food in our house, but we had #4 to help us, and it's never busy on a Monday night. We spent over $600 in less than an hour, but we needed everything! And I cannot believe that there is Christmas stuff at Costco already......I think that this is way too soon, it's not even September yet!

My mother-in-law is stil needing prayer. She was transferred to Maple Ridge last Wednesday, but is still not getting out of bed, and still not eating much either. She had a chest x-ray done last week, as she was in pain, but I haven't heard the results yet. Her hands are very shaky and she is having trouble feeding herself, that is part of the problem; even though she doesn't have much appetite either. She was put on an antibiotic today, as she seems to have some congestion in her lungs as well. It will be six weeks on Wednesday that she has been hospitalized, and she is sick and tired of being sick and tired. She tells all of us that she just wants to go home, but because she lives alone, there is a lot more healing to do before that can happen.

We took care of Toddler yesterday so his Mom and Dad could go watch a Canadians ball game. He was very cute and very well-behaved. Hubby commented that his speech was getting clearer and I think he's right. Oh, he still has some words that are all his own;

Leelee-LindseyGwamma-GrandmaGwampa-GrandpaTalkella-Metallicaren-redokopu-octopusee-osse-seahorseAnada-Canadanoman-snowmanit-siteat-seatup-ide down-upside downmuttin-muffinnuggle-snugglecu'me-excuse mewower-flowerHappy You You-Happy BirthdayAnd his rendition of The Aphabet Song is soooooooo cute!

I know there are so many more, but it is late, and my brain is not at full-capacity. He was so agreeable, and ate really well for us too. He hasn't really liked to eat and/or drink much since he's been sick. He and his Daddy took me to my eye appointment and he was really good today as well. I love listening to him talk, I think that he just likes to hear his own voice. But he is always chit-chatting about something! (Very much like his Mommy at the same age) Coming over the Pitt River Bridge on our way home, he said to me, "Nigh, night Gwamma." And rested his head on his head-rest and closed his eyes. I told him that I thought it was too early to go to sleep, and his response was, "I yawned." We had a laugh, and he did stay awake long enough to round the corner into our sub-division and say, "Go Gwamma's house. Play." He came in for a little bit while his Daddy went to the grocery store and his Mommy came to see him on her lunch-break, and he got to play for a bit. He was quite content to leave when his Daddy came back, with a hand-kiss and a hug, while going home in the car to listen to Talkella. (A hand-kiss is when he takes your cheeks in his chubby little hands and plants a kiss on your lips. Melts my heart.)

Saturday, August 21, 2010

They stopped by yesterday afternoon on their way to Birch Bay. And I just love, love, love her so much!! Look at her hair......she has enough for a hair pretty!! And if her parents look tired, it's because they are. #2 had been up since 3 in the morning......he is working at a dairy farm this summer and he has early, early mornings. And DIL only had 2 hours of sleep, but I think that they all look great!!

Friday, August 20, 2010

But we didn't. Here we are on Saturday night..........It was HOT! So when Hubby and I arrived home from an afternoon movie, (we saw Eat, Pray and Love ......and it was very, very good) #3 and her family were over enjoying our air-conditioning and wondering what to do about dinner. Toddler had had a day with his Daddy while his Mommy was working at her wedding decorating job, and he was whiny. And very emotional. We were at the computer watching "I am a Pizza" on YouTube while everyone was trying to decide where to go for dinner. We ended up at The Old Spaghetti Factory and then the park, and it was a fun night. He was actually pretty good and didn't eat much, but didn't whine much either. The next day, Toddler woke up with a fever, and when it got to be 103.8F, they took him to the Doctor. Diagnosis: Flu

I missed him. He didn't come to Daycare for 3 days. He ended up with sores in his mouth and a rash all over his body. Because #3 works in a Daycare, she figured it must be Hand Foot and Mouth disease as it has been going around. Not. They took him back to the Dr. on Tuesday and he was diagnosed with a throat infection and put on antibiotics. The rash was from his high fever that he had on Sunday. Still whiny and not eating much, but feeling a little bit better.......better enough to come back on Thursday to see his friends and entertain me.

He told me he was Batman. Yes, I know his cape is red and it's a Spiderman mask that he is attempting to put on, but he's two, and he was Batman!

Nope, I am not quick enough. The mask was on and the mask was off and it was too fast for me and my camera.

I bought some progressive puzzles from Discovery Toys. He really enjoyed them. He really does like puzzles.

He found a juice box in the fridge and I just couldn't say No. He doesn't usually get juice (for a long time, he didn't even like it) and because he hasn't been eating much or drinking much, I figured a little bit of juice wasn't going to hurt. He thoroughly enjoyed that juicebox and sucked it down to the very last drop!!

Monday, August 16, 2010

She's 15 lbs 4.4 ozs and 25 and 1/4 inches long. And she never quits moving. Already in the exersaucer, but it was so hard to get any good pictures, because she is always looking around and wiggling her body. These ones are cute, but I really wish I could have gotten some that are clearer. Her hair is really growing and her eyes looked quite green-gray tonight. Drooling and starting to work on getting some teeth. She fits in 6 month size clothing and her feet are a Size 1. I can't believe that she is 3 and 1/2 months old.........where does the time go?!?

Thursday, August 12, 2010

We went to the park tonight. Can anyone guess what he is looking at? We had such a fun evening, and as usual, our cautious little boy watched and watched before he started to participate.

This is who he was watching.......

He ran and ran and ran. As long as the water from the hose didn't come too close, then all was well. He really did seem to know where the water was at all times and ran the periphery of the spray. I could have watched him all night!!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Can anyone guess where we went today? He's way up high. He loves to be "way up high." Those are his words. When he's on a bridge. When he's climbed up to the top of the slide. Whenever he's up at the top of the stairs. It's cute..........and so when he arrived today, he knew he was going to go "way up high." He didn't know where, and he didn't know how, but he was most impressed with his adventure to the top of Grouse Mountain.

At first, when he saw the skyride, he actually told me "No." But he changed his mind very quickly and the actual skyride to the top was probably the highlight of his day.

Looking out the window on the ride up. Totally mesmerized. It was sunny at the bottom of the mountain, but at 9:30 in the morning there is a lot of condensation on the window. But yes, just as we arrived at the top, we floated into a cloud.

There are grizzly bears at the top of the mountain. They are in a five acre habitat and they are 12 years old. I think that I was more impressed with them than he was, but I was surprised at how close they were to us. Ten feet away.......maybe fifteen, but they are 700 pounds and stand 9 feet tall when standing. It was feeding time......a very good time to see the bears!

He called them "teddy bears."

Was very happy to have "choklat milk & rench ries" for lunch.

This one is for you Mommy!

Loving the tall grass.......

Peek-a-boo!

He really liked all the wooden carvings

Happily buckled into his seat, ready to head home. He had a very fun day!!

This is what he looked like, three minutes down the road. Slept all the way home, and then some! We both had a great time, and even though it was foggy, it didn't dampen our spirits at all. We stayed for four and a half hours, and it was a fabulous day!

About Me

I am a wife, a mother, a friend. I own and operate my own family business, a licensed daycare in my home. I often say that I don't really work, which I don't, I play. Rod Black once said that if you choose a career you love, then you never have to work a day in your life. I know that I have done that. Children fascinate me, they have very intriguing behaviours and although I often think I need to evolve past the age of 5, I keep coming back to take care of all the little children. They are the lights of my life, and they help to make my life complete.